The One Thing She Thought She'd Live Without
by LilithFanBebeNeuwrotic
Summary: Inspired by the season eight episode entitled, "Forbidden Fruit". I enjoyed seeing a different side of Karen and decided to take it a step further: What if the poor little rich girl finally got the one thing she thought she'd have to live without?
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody! This is my first Will&Grace fanfiction so bear with me. This is a little idea I came up with after watching the episode "Forbidden Fruit" in season eight.

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Prologue

Karen Walker stumbled into the office around noon one day, Chanel sunglasses covering her eyes.

"Karen!" Grace exclaimed. "Where have you been? I've been calling you all morning. You're normally in by ten thirty-"

"Would you shut up?" Karen snapped, her voice lowering in irritation. "I feel like hell and I've been throwing up since last night."

"Well, Karen," Grace was suddenly more sympathetic. "Why didn't you call in sick?"

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." Karen sighed. "Besides, I had to get out of the house. Rosario was going on and on about finally getting that hangover I've been working up to or something like that. Quite honestly I could hardly understand a word she was saying."

"That's strange." Grace pondered a loud. "You've never been hungover. I figured you always just stayed drunk."

"That's normally how it works, but for some reason my body is rejecting any and everything that I try putting in it."

"Have you gone to the doctor to see if you might be sick? I've heard the flu is going around."

"See, that's what I thought." Karen agreed. "I was pretty sure that I had caught some kind of virus from one of my staff since some of them haven't all had the required vaccinations to get their citizenship, but Doctor said he couldn't find anything."

"That is strange." Grace commented, flipping through a portfolio. She looked over and noticed that Karen was pouring herself a glass of vodka.

"Karen, that probably isn't a good idea."

"I don't really care." Karen replied politely. "This sickness is killing my buzz."

* * *

Karen went home not too long after she had arrived at work. She decided that she would rather suffer at home. She changed into a nightgown and went to Stan's old study as the maids were cleaning the master bedroom.

"Miss Karen," Rosario called into the intercom. "Jack is here."

"Send him up." Karen groaned.

A few minutes later she heard Jack's familiar voice down the hallway.

"Kare?" He called. "Karen?"

"I'm in here." She responded.

Jack leaned on the door frame and looked at Karen.

"I went by the office to see you and Grace said you were sick." He told her. "Was it her shoes that did it?"

"No," Karen smiled. "Although, they were bad."

Jack walked in and sat next to Karen on the futon.

"I remember when the tables were turned." Jack smiled. "How's it feel?"

"Like the day after my twenty first birthday." Karen moaned.

"That bad, huh?"

Karen nodded weakly. Jack suddenly looked like he had a thought.

"You remember that day when you were taking care of me and I got to see the Forbidden Room?"

"Honey, you didn't 'get to see' the Forbidden Room." Karen corrected. "You broke down the door."

"Well, anyway it got me thinking." Jack said, changing the subject. "Do you think you might be... you know?"

"Oh, God no, Jackie!" Karen exclaimed. "Stan and I have been divorced for _months_! There is no way in hell!"

"Sorry, Kare." Jack said, taking her hand. "It was just a silly thought. You know what might make you feel better?"

"What, honey?"

"If we touch each other inappropriately..." Jack suggested slowly.

"That does tend to make me feel better." Karen said, entertaining the thought. "But, Jackie, I'm really tired. I think I'll just take a nap. Maybe some other time."

"Oh, okay." Jack said, seeming disappointed.

"Jackie, how about i have Driver take you home in the limo, huh?" Karen offered.

"Kare, that'd be great!" Jack said excitedly. "I love ya, Kare. I hope you feel better."

"Thank you, Jackie."

Karen laid on the futon for a few minutes until she knew Jack was gone. Jack's silly thought had gotten her thinking. Of course, there was no way that she could be pregnant with Stan's child. But...

Karen walked around, recounting her recent sex life. At first, she was thoroughly depressed at how inactive it was. It was almost as bad as Wilma's. But then she remembered.

A few weeks ago, Karen had gone out to a bar as she often did when battling her thoughts of Stan and how much she missed him. There was a young fellow there, she couldn't even remember his name. He had to have just graduated college, or at least have been at the age where he could have graduated college. Karen suddenly remembered it well. It was the first night she had spent with a man since she divorced Stan, and it was a good one. Filled with passion and craze.

As Karen recollected to repressed memory, she found herself slowly making her way to to Forbidden room. As she went back over that night's events, she realized that she had stopped taking her birth control as she had felt that there was no need to anymore. And, surely there was no way that what's his face had remembered to use a condom.

She slowly opened the Forbidden Door, her breath becoming quick as she came to realization with hopeful doubt. She opened the door and entered the room, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

Karen suddenly feared that she was finally going to get the one thing that she thought she would have to live without. She broke down with emotion and cried, sitting down in the rocking chair.

"What have I done?" She thought to herself. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through the contacts with a shaking hand. She decided to call the one person she needed most right now. After a few rings, there was finally an answer.

"Hello?"

"Grace?"


	2. Chapter 2

KPOV

"Karen?" Grace called.

I quickly got up from the rocking chair and walked into the hallway, closing the door behind me. I met her at the end of the hallway and showed her into the study.

"Karen, are you okay?" She asked as I shut the door behind us. "Why did you ask me to bring you-"

"Don't say it!" I interrupted. "You never know when the maids are listening. Just give me the... thing."

She retrieved the white paper bag out her Gucci knock-off purse and handed it to me.

"There, the directions are on the box, but it's pretty simple."

"Honey, I may not know how to work your little gadgets in the office like the fax or the computer, but I've used these things quite a few times."

I went off to the bathroom and did the deed. After I was finished I came back out and grabbed the sand timer out of the desk. Ten minutes.

"So, is there something you want to talk to me about?" Grace asked, sitting on the futon. I was surprised at her tone. I had expected her to be smiling in that same way she had when she found out that I had done an adult movie. But, her face was sincere, almost...what was the word? It was an emotion... concerned.

"It was a couple of weeks ago..." I began, sitting down next to her. "I was drunk, he was young and attractive. We went back to his place and I woke up the next morning, saw him next to me and realized what had happened. I did the walk of shame back home."

"Well, if this turns out positive, are you going to tell him?"

"Honey, I hardly remember what he looks like, let alone his name!" I retorted. "Grace, what am I going to do? I don't know if I have what it takes to be a mom. I definitely didn't do very well with Stan's kids."

"Karen, you don't even know if you're pregnant yet." Grace said. "It's probably just a false alarm."

"Maybe..." I said.

Part of me hoped that it was. But, then again, part of me hoped it wasn't. My mind kept wandering back to the Forbidden Room across the hall. Sure, a small part of me wanted to be a mom. But the rest of me was always very quick to remind me of the fact that I probably wouldn't make a very good one. I drank, I did pills, I had the sympathy of a brick. Granted, I had never really had an example of what a good mother was supposed to be. But, on occasion Grace would bring Lila to the office for the afternoon and I saw what a great mom she was to her.

"Karen," Grace said, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Time's up."

"Okay." I said, nervously. Here it was, moment of truth.

I walked over to the desk and picked up the white stick. Grace had gotten one of the really simple ones, so there was no question about the result. Pregnant. As a knee jerk reaction I flung the stick back on the desk in a panic.

"Oh my God." I gasped. I could feel my knees go weak and I caught myself on the desk. "Oh my God!"

Grace caught me and walked me back over to the futon and I was already in hysterics. I couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Grace, I don't know if I can do this!" I said.

"Do you want me to take you to the women's clinic?"

"Oh no, honey!" I said quickly. "I could never do that. But, I just don't know if I'm ready to be a mother. I keep thinking about how I see you with Lila and I don't know if I would be as good."

"Ok, Karen I'm going to be honest with you." She said. "I never thought that I would say this, but, something tells me that you will make a terrific mother."

"Why would you think that? Have you met me?"

"I know, I was shocked, too." She smiled. "But, do you remember the other day when I brought Lila in for a few hours?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I remember going to the back for a few minutes to look through some patterns and I asked you to keep an eye on her. And when I came back, what were you two doing?"

"We... were sitting at my desk?"

"Yes. And Lila was sitting on your desk while you painted her fingernails for her. You two were laughing about something-"

"It was your skirt." I admitted.

"Anyway," She rolled her eyes. "In that moment when I saw your smile as you were talking with Lila, I had a strange notion that maybe, just maybe you might have some sort of maternal instinct in you."

"Oh, honey." I smiled, touching her hand. "Come here, I wanna show you something."

"Karen, I've seen your boobs before."

"Not that, honey!" I laughed. I led her across the hall and put my hand on the Forbidden Doorknob. "A few years ago I had a little scare and before I realized that it was a false alarm, I came up with this."

I opened the door and led her in. "I guess it's a good thing I never got around to turning it into liquor storage."

She didn't say anything, just kind of stood still and looked around. "This is amazing. Karen, you're going to be a wonderful mother. If you ever need anything, I'm here for you. okay?"

"Thanks, Gracie." I said. She started to lean in for a hug. "Bup, bup bup, my child will be the only person receiving hugs from me."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to all that reviewed, they made my day! Here's a new chapter!

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_A few weeks later..._

"Wilma!" Karen barked as she stormed into Will's office.

"How many times do I have to ask you not to call me that at work?"

"Look," Karen began, ignoring the question altogether. "I need your help. I've been thinking about getting Private Investigator to track down my baby daddy. But, then I thought, am I legally required to do that?"

Karen's pregnancy had been quite the news to Will, who had heard from Jack who was told by Karen. Will had grown fond of Karen over the years, but had apprehensions when it came to the thought of Karen as a mother. Karen the alcoholic, sure. Karen the abusive employer, definitely. Hell, even Karen the neglectful, stand offish mother. But, Karen the loving and caring mother?

"I don't see why you wouldn't tell him." Will replied.

"Because," Karen said as she sat down, her voice becoming sincere. "I want to raise this child my way. I don't really know this man and what if he tries to take my baby away from me? I don't want to share my child."

"But, don't you think he has a right to know?"

"Well, I don't know Wilma, that's why I came to you." And the sincerity was gone. "Does he have that right?"

"Well, yes." Will answered. "Unless you were to convince him to sign away his rights to the child."

"So that's it?"

"Not necessarily. You should also consider asking him for copies of medical records and history, for the sake of the child should something come up in the future."

"That's a good idea." Karen commented. "So, I'll get Private Investigator on that pronto and I'll let you know when I need those papers drawn up. 'kay?"

And just a few weeks later, the man was found. Turns out that he was an undergrad at NYU. His name was Matthew and he lived in Queens.

As Karen and Will walked up to the apartment, Karen took a wary glance around.

"Good thing my kid won't be exposed to all this." She muttered. "Which one did he say it was?"

"3C." Will answered, following Karen up the stairs.

As they approached the door, Karen paused.

"Are you okay, Karen?" Will asked.

"You think I'm going to touch that door?" She snapped. "You knock on it."

Will did so and a young man came to the door.

"Hi, Matthew?" Will asked.

"That's me." Matthew answered slowly. "There a problem."

"Look, honey," Karen cut in. "I'm pregnant. So my lawyer here has some papers I need you to sign. 'Kay?"

She pushed past him and walked into the apartment while Will waited for Matthew's permission before following her.

"Woah, what?"

"You knocked me up and now we're dealing with it." Karen said slowly. "I'm going to keep the baby and you're going to sign these papers saying that you don't want your rights as a parent."

"You want me to sign off my rights?" Matthew asked. "What if I don't want to do that? What if I want to be a part of this kid's life?"

Karen let out a laugh. "Oh, honey, that's rich. You and I both know that that's not what you want. "

"Karen, I want to help you." He said earnestly. "I want to take responsibility for this. I'll help pay child support and-"

"Bup bup bup bup bup." Karen interrupted. "As you may recall, I don't need your money. And I don't need your help. All I need you to do is to sign those papers and get me copies of your medical history."

After a moment, Matthew gave in. He knew that this was probably best.

"Good boy." Karen smiled. She watched as Will handed Matthew the papers that needed signing and explained to him the legal requirements that he was agreeing to.

Karen was glad that the ordeal was over. The last thing she wanted was a man she had no desire to see or get to know putting his opinion in on how Karen would raise her child.


End file.
